Social Events

Pre-Conference Drinks Reception

The drinks reception will be held on the evening of Monday 20 February in the Playfair Library.

The Playfair Library is one of the real treasures of the University's Old College, and is probably Edinburgh’s finest interior. It is around 190 feet long, with a vaulted ceiling and tall classical columns forming a screen at either end. It was used as a working library from the 1820s until the 1960s, when the University's main collection was moved to George Square. The Library is currently used to host dinners, receptions and prestigious lectures.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner will be held on the evening of Tuesday 21 February in the Caves

The Caves is part of the vaults that make up the sub structure of Edinburgh’s South Bridge. The vaults are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh which was completed in 1788. For around 30 years the vaults were used to house taverns. cobblers and other tradesmen and as the storage space for illicit material.

It is not known when the vaults complex was closed down, but some suggesting as early as c1835 and others as late as c1875. All that is known is that at some point tons of rubble were dumped into the vaults making them inaccessible.
The vaults were rediscovered in the 1990s and excavated to create the stunning and unique venue that is The Caves.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held in the Quincentenary Conference Centre is a modern building, purpose-built to house large events. It is part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh campus, which also houses the Surgeons' Hall Museums. The Museum offers tours and private viewings to guests attending events if requested. The Surgeons' Hall campus is close to the city centre, next to the the Festival Theatre and the National Museum of Scotland.

Visiting Edinburgh

There are a range of informative websites which will ensure that you make the most of your time in Edinburgh. A few are listed below:-